California: CalHHS Secretary Dr. Ghaly to depart, CDSS Director Johnson appointed new Secretary
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Sep 6, 2024

CalHHS Secretary Dr. Ghaly to depart, CDSS Director Johnson appointed new Secretary

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the departure of California Health and Human Services (CalHHS) Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly, who has led the agency since March of 2019. The Governor appointed California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Director Kim Johnson to serve as the new CalHHS Secretary.

During Dr. Ghaly's tenure, which spanned California's nation-leading response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CalHHS pushed forward many initiatives that focus on providing more stability and opportunity to Californians. These initiatives crossed a wide range of health and human services issues, including addressing affordability and access of health care to deepening the connection between housing, homelessness and health, including behavioral health.

"Dr. Ghaly's heroic service to the people of our state and his profound contribution to reshaping California's health and social services cannot be overstated.

"For more than five years at the helm of CalHHS, his visionary and compassionate leadership and unwavering focus on protecting the most vulnerable among us has seen our state through unprecedented challenges and historic victories that improve the lives of Californians.

"He has been a driving force for transformative changes to make health care more affordable and accessible, and has overseen the state's overhaul of our behavioral health system to better reach those most in need. His steadfast leadership of California's nation-leading response to the pandemic saved countless lives and set the stage for our state's strong recovery.

"I thank Dr. Ghaly for his tireless work to build a Healthy California for All, which will continue to make an impact in the lives of millions for decades to come."

Governor Gavin Newsom

"Kim has been an indispensable partner in delivering foundational services that millions of Californians rely on, bringing decades of experience and expertise in this space. I'm grateful to her for stepping into this new role and look forward to her continued leadership and partnership in our work to advance the health and well-being of all Californians."

Governor Gavin Newsom

Hallmarks of Dr. Ghaly's leadership include:
  • Reimagining California's Medicaid program through California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) to address the social determinants of health and provide whole-person care.
  • Creating the Master Plan for Aging to serve as a blueprint for building environments that promote an age-friendly California.
  • Transforming the way California supports behavioral health for all children, youth and their families through the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative.
  • Overhauling California's behavioral health system through the Master Plan for Kids' Mental Health, Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) program, and Proposition 1.
  • Expanding health care access through both Medi-Cal and Covered California.
  • Establishing the Office of Health Care Affordability, to address the increasing cost of health care while maintaining high-quality care.
  • Launching CalRx, an innovative initiative to disrupt the pharmaceutical market and make critical medications like insulin and naloxone more affordable.
  • Transforming the Foster Care rates structure to ensure levels of funding are more responsive to the needs of the child and family.

"I am grateful to Secretary Ghaly for his steadfast leadership and partnership during one of the greatest public health crises of our lifetime. However, it was his unceasing dedication to caring for the needs of all Californians, especially our most vulnerable, that will be his enduring legacy. It is my great privilege to call him a colleague and friend. I wish him the very best as he embarks on his next chapter," said Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, who served as California's first Surgeon General.

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Dr. Ghaly will stay on at CalHHS through the end of the month to facilitate the leadership transition. The Governor today appointed Director Kim Johnson as the next CalHHS Secretary effective October 1. Director Johnson has led the California Department of Social Services since July of 2019.

Kim Johnson, of Sacramento, has been appointed Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. Johnson has served as Director of the California Department of Social Services since 2019 and served in several roles there from 2015 to 2019, including Deputy Director of the Family Engagement and Empowerment Division, Branch Chief of CalWORKs and Child Care, and Branch Chief of Refugee Programs and Child Care. She was Public Policy Director at the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network from 2012 to 2015. Johnson was Manager of the California Early Childhood Mentor Program at the City College of San Francisco from 2009 to 2012. She was Director of Program and Training at the Parent Services Project from 2007 to 2010 and Program Director at the Children's Network of Solano County from 1999 to 2007. Johnson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $247,039. Johnson is a Democrat.

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